Welt stretching form



June 10, 1941 R. H. SCHEER 4 WELT STRETCHING FORM Filed March 16, 1939 Patented June 10, 1941 WELT STRETOHING FORM Richard H. Scheer, Philadelphia, .Pa., assignor to Vanity Fair Silk Mills, Reading, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 16, 1939, Serial No. 262,281

6 Claims.

This invention pertains to hosiery stretchers and particularly to a hosiery form adapted to stretch the welt or multiple-layer portion of a stocking.

In manufacture of hosiery, such as ladies stockings, it is commercial practice to dye the completed stocking and then to stretch the stocking over a form to dry. The drying should leave no wrinkles or shrinkage, but on the contrary should leave the stocking stretched to form and otherwise in appearance ready for immediate sale. This is not a simple matter, for the fabrics of which modern hosiery are constructed, such as rayon for example, are of exceedingly low wet strength and are very delicate so'that exceeding care must be exercised in stretching the stocking over a form. The upper end of the stocking is constructed of two layers of fabric. It dries and stretches with more difficulty than the adjoining single layer of the leg portion.

The purpose of this invention is to construct a hosiery form over which stockings can be stretched quickly to dry thewhole stocking evenly and to form. A further purpose is to provide a stocking form to stretch the welt portion separately from the leg portion of the stocking. A particular object is to provide a welt portion in a hosiery form that will receive the welt portion of a stocking by an exceedingly simplemanipulation by the operator, but which will stretch the welt portion of the stocking and which will position itself in linear contact with said welt portion responsive to the longitudinally distributed resistance pressure of said welt portion. Another specific purpose of importance is to provide a welt portion of a hosiery form that, will receive a stocking and will release a stocking without tendency to pinch or to tear the fabric as the stocking is stretched or is removed from the form. A further object is to arrange a hosiery form that is inexpensive to construct under commercial conditions. A further purpose is to construct a simple welt hosiery form in which standardized elements may be used, in which elements may be of substantially any material desired, and in which corrodible materials may be reduced to a minimum. A further purpose is to provide a welt portion which may be utilized with minimum alteration of standard hosiery forms. These and other objects will become apparent in the following illustrative description of this inven tion. A specific form of invention is described in the accompanying drawing, while the scope of the invention is more fully pointed out in 'the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a side view of a stocking stretched over a hosiery form with separate welt portion;

Figure 2 represents an enlarged View of the welt portion, partly cut away, of a hosiery form showing in detail a preferred structure under the present invention;

Figure 3 represents a cross section of the leg of a hosiery form showing the contour of the edges along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 represents a cross section of the hosier-y form through the welt portion along the line 44 of Figure 2; Figure 5 represents a cross section of a portion of the welt section of the hosiery form taken on line 55 of Figure 2 showing a detail of construction of certain guiding elements included in this invention.

Various objects of this invention are accomplished by providing a welt portion in which ridge elements are continuously pressed outwardly along the welt. In the more specific form, longitudinal ridge elements are mounted resiliently in what may be termed a floating structure so as to yield wherever pressure demands along the length of a welt. I 7

Referring more particularly to the drawing, Figure 1 shows a stocking l drawn over a legshaped form 2. The base portion 3 of the form, which receives what is the top of the welt portion of the stocking, is recessed in desired contour to fit into suitable receptacles of drying apparatus as is customary in the art. The welt portion of the stocking is designated by the numeral 4 in Figure 1.

Figure 2 shows in detail the structure of the welt section of a hosiery form. Asshown, the hosiery form is essentially flat. The welt elements' comprise plates 4 and 5 fastened together as by screws 6 through the form. These plates extend beyond the edges of the foundation to include longitudinal recesses opposite each other. Within these recesses along the edges are loosely positioned longitudinal ridge elements I, 8. Each ridge element is continually pushed outwardly from the recess as, for example, by a spring 9 back of the ridge element. Guiding or anchor elements I!) may be attached to each ridge element to limit its motion away from the form.

Somewhat more in detail, it will be observed that the welt plates 4 and 5, in the particular form illustrated, cover substantially each side of the welt portion of this hosiery form. The edges continue the contour of the leg portion of the form in such manner as may be desired. The ridge elements positioned in the longitudinal recesses between these plates are shown as extending from the end of the cross plates near the body of the form to a position below the cross plates 4 and 5 so as to afford extensions opposite to each other at the end of the form suitable to be pressed toward each other by the hands of an operator.

The inner contour of the recesses between the edges of plates 4 and 5 is defined by the body of the hosiery form. Near the leg end of the plates, the recess contour deepens inwardly from the edge a short distance and then extends downwardly. Thus a housing is provided for the 1ongitudinal ridge elements 1 and 8. The ridge elements 1 and 8 are of a width substantially commensurate with these edge recesses. The inner edge of the form, however, contains a pair of longitudinal notches with shallow ends directed toward each other along the edge of the form and symmetrically disposed with respect to the center of the form. These notches receive the ends of a bow spring 9 under longitudinal ridge elements I and 8. Thus these ridge elements tend to be expelled from the form.

There are also arrangements to guide these ridge elements. Such arrangements comprise pins secured to the inner face of each ridge element and extended inwardly through slots provided in the body of the form, as for example,

pin elements I0, ll, l2 and I3. The inner end of each pin comprises an enlarged head portion l0, ll, I2 and I3. Each pin and the head portion are flattened sufficiently to float between the welt side plates as illustrated in Figure 5. Recesses surrounding these pins permit vertical play in the pins and head but constrict vertical play and also limit outward motion of the pin head. Such a recess is located near each end of each longitudinal ridge element. This specific structure, then, comprises a pair of longitudinal ridge elements continually expelled from recesses by a bow spring compressed against the middle of each ridge element. With this are guide pins to permit floating action of the ridge element about the convex arc of the spring as a fulcrum and to limit outward motion of the ribs.

It will. be observed from Figure 3, and also from Figures 4 and 5, that the edges of the form 2 are bevelled and also that the edges of the ridge elements I and 8 are bevelled. The edge thus formed is not so sharp as to cut fabric threads but is thus bevelled to avoid cuts and tears that would result from corners and to facilitate moving stockings from the form. It will be observed further from Figure 2 that the upper and lower ends of the ridge elements I and 8 are curved to facilitate passage of a stocking fabric thereover without tearing the fabric. Thus are provided means for rapid placement or removal of stockings.

In use of this form, a stocking wet from dyeing is rolled down over the form 2. At the welt portion the operators fingers readily compress the upper ends of the ridge elements I and 8 so that the wet stocking easily follows down over the compressed ridges. This compression and ready positioning of the welt of the stocking continues progressively as the fingers slide down along the ridge. As the fingers progress to lower and lower position, they compress the bow springs 9, and as the fingers then progress below the center of the welt, the upper ends of the ridge elements 1 and 8 tend to press outward gradually to tighten the inner end of the welt in position. This progressive tightening against the welt continues as the operator works toward the end of the form, and finally the entire length of the ridge elements 1 and 8 presses outwardly, the ridge elements automatically positioning themselves, relative to the fulcrums formed by the spring 6, under the resistance pressure of the welt portion of the stocking distributed along the ridge elements whereby any peak of stretching stress is avoided, pressure conforming to the welt of the stocking. Then the stocking on the form may be placed in a dryer: For removal of the stocking, the operator simply presses inwardly on the extending lower ends of the ridge elements I and 8, then progressively compresses these ridge elements toward each other as the stocking is rolled or pulled upwardly. As the stocking moves on beyond the welt portion, the ridge elements 1 and 8 are free to fly outward, but are limited in their path by the stop heads on the ends of the guide pins of said ridge elements.

It is evident that other positions of the ridge elements or of bow springs may be adopted, or even that other springs than bow springs may be utilized. It is evident also that materials of construction may be selected with considerable choice. I have illustrated this invention in accordance with the patent statutes by description of an embodiment of this invention that is now preferred, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention may include such alterations and modifications as may be within the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A fiat hosiery form the edges of which conform generally to the shape of a stocking, said edge portions at the welt end being recessed, spaced wells extending into the form from the bottom of each recess, movable ridge elements slidably seated one in each of said recesses, guide members extending from the inner face of each of said ridge elements into said wells, means limiting the outward movement of each said guide members with respect to its well and resilient means interposed between the bottom. face of each recess and the inner face of the adjacent movable edge and intermediate said spaced guide members forcing said edge member outwardly with a limited rocking movement as specified.

2. Hosiery form for insertion into a stocking,

' comprising a flat member having opposite side edges generally conforming to the shape of the leg portion of the stocking, at least one of said edges in the region of the welt being constituted by a laterally resiliently extensible ridge element translatorily movable in guiding recesses in said fiat member, means for transmitting outwardly directed spring pressure to said element at an intermediate point of said element, said means providing a fulcrum permitting teetering of said ridge element,

3. Hosiery form for insertion into a. stocking, comprising a flat member having opposite side edges generally conforming to the shape of the leg portion of the stocking, said edges in the region of the welt being constituted by a pair of laterally resiliently extensible ridge elements translatorily movable in guiding recesses in said fiat member, means for transmitting outwardly directed spring pressure to said elements at an intermediate point, said means providing a fulcrum permitting teetering of said ridge elements.

4. Hosiery form for insertion into a stocking, comprising a fiat member having, opposite side edges generally conforming to the shape of the leg portion of the stocking, said edges in the region of the welt being constituted by a pair of laterally resiliently extensible ridge elements translatorily movable in guiding recesses in said flat member, means freely contacting said ridge elements for transmitting outwardly directed spring pressure to said elements to an intermediate point, said means providing a floating fulcrum permitting teetering of said ridge elements.

5. Hosiery form for insertion into a stocking, comprising a flat member having opposite side edges generally conforming to the shape of the leg portion of the stocking, said edges in the region of the welt being constituted by a pair of laterally resiliently extensible ridge elements translatorily movable in guiding recesses in said flat member, means for transmitting outwardly directed spring pressure to said elements at an intermediate point, said means providing a fulcrum permitting teetering of said ridge elements, and means on opposite sides of said fulcrum for retaining said ridge elements for limiting the range of extension of said elements.

6. Hosiery form for insertion into a stocking, comprising a flat member having opposite side edges generally conforming to the shape of the leg portion of the stocking, said edges in the region of the welt being constituted by a pair of laterally resiliently extensible ridge elements translatorily movable in guiding recesses in said fiat member, bowed leaf springs retained in said recesses behind said ridge elements having their convex sides freely pressing said ridge elements at intermediate points, providing floating fulcrums about which said ridge elements may teeter, and means on opposite sides of said fulcrums retaining said ridge elements, for limiting the range of extension of said elements.

RICHARD H. SCHEER. 

